One of the prevalent problems existing in the world of artistic works, and especially in fine arts, is the separation and identification of original artistic works from counterfeit copies. Various experts examine such artistic work and judge it original, or not; and occasionally extensive scientific tests must be performed to establish their authenticity. Insurance companies and buyers are constantly at the mercy of art experts with regards to identifying valuable paintings and other works of art.
Each time an artistic work is bought, sold or insured, the question arises: is this an original or a copy? There is currently no simple, reliable and cost-effective method available to art connoisseurs and insurers for verifying the authenticity of a questionable work of art. There are estimates available that over 40 percent of artwork sold today are copies of originals.
Well executed copies of original works of art incorporate color, brush strokes, technique and pigment duplication as well as artificial aging where necessary. However, the microscopic details of the brush strokes cannot be duplicated exactly. The simple photography of original paintings does not supply sufficient information to detect these forgeries. Even magnified portions of an artwork surface texture are a two-dimensional record and can be duplicated by a skillful forger.
A painting's surface is actually a three-dimensional relief record. A magnified optical picture is a two-dimensional record of a three dimensional surface, and therefore, is difficult to use for comparison purposes. A precision optical system that focuses on the outermost surface of the brush strokes can record information that can be easily compared at a later date. In security uses, holograms have been used to prevent forgeries. Holograms are delicate and in credit card use can become flattened and indistinct from abuse within a wallet.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, the following U.S. Patents were considered related:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. INVENTOR ISSUED ______________________________________ 4,837,840 Goldman 6 June 1989 4,544,266 Antes 1 October 1985 4,468,807 Moulton 28 August 1984 4,455,083 Elmes 19 June 1984 ______________________________________
The Goldman patent discloses a system for verifying the authenticity of various articles. The system develops a representation that characterizes an article for identification by comparison with a reference standard. For example, two beams of light are reflected from a specific area location on the article under investigation. The wavefronts of the beam are directed so as to interfere with each other and as a consequence an interference pattern or interferogram is produced. The interferogram is then sensed and compared to identify or authenticate the article under investigation.
The Antes patent discloses an apparatus for testing the authenticity of documents. The apparatus includes a machine-readable authenticity feature in the form of an optical microstructure for diffracting at least one component of a beam of light rays that impinges on the microstructure along a predetermined direction. The light rays diffracted define an effective center line of "gravity" along one direction. The diffracted beam is then sensed by a device that produces an electrical signal that is evaluated by another device where a YES or NO decision signal is produced that determines of the document is authentic or not.
The Moulton patent discloses a method for analyzing stored image details used for identification purposes. The method derives slopes from an image under investigation to provide three-dimensional recognition information. Data representing light levels of an image are stored in a picture memory device, which is then analyzed to select absolute illumination magnitudes between fixed locations of the image. The stored data is utilized to verify with current data and, depending upon the degree of correlation therebetween, an indication of recognition is either verified or rejected.
The Elmes patent discloses an apparatus for verifying that the fingerprint of a card bearer is identical to the fingerprint imprinted on the card. A match is verified by observing a predetermined minimum level of reflection of light from the imprinted negative fingerprint on the card and the fingerprint of the bearer. If the light levels are within a preset minimum standard, the fingerprint of the card bearer is deemed to be the same as the fingerprint on the card.